Thinking of changing to mobile broadband

chughes

Apologies if this has been discussed already but I currently have eircom broadband and I am thinking of changing to one of the mobile broadband services. My kids like to look at utube and I've heard that streaming videos can be very slow on mobile broadband. Also, does looking at utube affect your download limitations ? Thanks in advance.

watty

Mobile is for MOBILE use.

* Low data CAP
* Speed can be Broadband or slower than Dialup
* Does not always connect
* Streaming video erratic & choppy and not enough data allowance for much of it.

Digweb Metro, UPC cable, Imagine/IBB Breeze or other DSL (phone line) resellers are alternatives to eircom. Mobile isn't an alternative to real fixed broadband. See the 3 Megathread in Midband forum...

bealtine

chughes wrote: »

Apologies if this has been discussed already but I currently have eircom broadband and I am thinking of changing to one of the mobile broadband services. My kids like to look at utube and I've heard that streaming videos can be very slow on mobile broadband. Also, does looking at utube affect your download limitations ? Thanks in advance.

Bad idea really.

If you can get a solid repeatable connection then you will be lucky.
Viewing youtube will quickly eat into your data allowance and you will end up spending a fortune in "overage" charges. The operators are ruthless about these allowances.

Mobile BB is really only a dialup alternative and is fine for that but as a fixed solution it wouldn't be recommended.

chughes

Thanks for the replies. I'm finding my eircom package to be expensive, given my new financial situation. UPC is not an option because I live in MMDS land and you need to be in cable land to avail of their service. It looks like I would have to stay with a wire provider rather than a wireless one. Any opinions as to a good low cost one ?

watty

FIXED wireless is OK, i.e. Imagine/IBB's Breeze or Digiweb Metro. But you would have to entirely cancel phone line to save more.

If you are keeping phone line go with LLU or bundle of calls/DSL from BT, UTV, Perlico/Vodafone, Imagine, Digiweb, Magnet or Smart.

Anon47

I have been with UTV for years and they are consistently the least expensive optiion, I have 3Mb, line rental and free landline calls anytime to Ireland or UK for <50euro per month, do not switch to mobile broadband if its just for home use, especially not to Three who have a really crap service.

bugfreebob

chughes wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. I'm finding my eircom package to be expensive, given my new financial situation. UPC is not an option because I live in MMDS land and you need to be in cable land to avail of their service. It looks like I would have to stay with a wire provider rather than a wireless one. Any opinions as to a good low cost one ?

Don't give up good quality fixed Broadband for Mobile - you'll only regret it. If you want to save some money during the recession, here are a few other ideas.

• Give up MMDS, and get Free-to-air TV. All main UK & Irish channels are available free-to-air. No more monthly fees to NTL/Chorus.
• Change your electricity supplier to Bord Gais or Airtricity
• Port your mobiles to Meteor, they have really good rates. Eircom also have an excellent bundle that includes free calls to all Meteor Mobiles. I found that calls to Irish mobiles were the biggest part of both fixed and mobile bills. By migrating the most frequently dialled numbers to Meteor, and making a point of using fixed line for calls, we are saving a fortune. The combination of these two measures has enabled us to opt for a much lower monthly mobile tariff.
• Use Skype for International calls

Mlo

Mobile broadband is really truely only for those with no other means of accessing the web. It's rarely (unless you count 3am) ever actual broadband and you can forget streaming video or playing games with it even then.

It's feasible for email and light web surfing, and even that's very dependant on where and when you're trying to do that.

I speak as a survivor of Three's awful 'service' which I'm now thankfully well shut of.

chughes

Folks, many thanks for the tips and advice.

Dr. Nick

I've had o2 mobile broadband for over 3 weeks now - I have no choice since I moved to the country.

I am pleasently surprised by how good it is, and the dovado router I got last week is adding to the positive experience. Sometimes it's even better than the eircom 7 meg I had in my old place, a couple of times it's been poor. I'm currently d/loading a file at 45/50kbps on a Tuesday evening, this is fairly typical, youtube is mostly fine also. It's been up around 80kbps a few times, and went right up to some crazy levels one morning at around 7am.

The cap may be a problem as I go on, but for the moment I'm happy and I don't d/load as much as I used to anyway.